This application is related to hand-held flashlights that have a variable length.
Hand-held flashlights provide illumination for a wide variety of uses. A conventional flashlight includes a rigid body that is typically cylindrical in shape and fixed in length. While such straight, rigid, and constant length flashlights are useful for many situations, they may be impractical for others. As such, numerous other flashlights with variable configurations have been disclosed. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,692,394; 2,550,423; 4,495,550; and 5,385,500. While these alternative flashlight designs are more versatile, their use remains limited. For example, such flashlights may not provide a convenient means for being temporarily mounted to a nearby structure, so that one of the user's hand for such flashlights is occupied by holding the flashlight and not free for other work. As such, there remains a need for alternative flashlight designs, particularly flashlight designs that allow for the light to be directed in various directions, that are variable in size, and that provide convenient temporary mounting means.